A major score

Unfortunately the children have really helped Buster develop his taste for people food. He licked this bag for crumbs until there was almost no bag left!

Just one long vacation

This morning we had our usual nearing the end of the week car conversation. We had the usual questions and demands about what the weekend is looking like. They're always concerned we're going to just make them do chores all weekend. Then we had to talk about days off, and when exactly does Christmas vacation start, and can they please stay up late during vacation. Then one of my children,( who shall remain nameless to protect him from the wrath of other mothers who may find his comment offensive), made the comment that I'm so lucky because I get every day off. Yup, that's pretty much how motherhoods been, just one long vacation!

For your listening pleasure

Christmas means...school music programs. Last night was Fuller's Winter program, themed "Christmas means...". For those who may have missed it, or anyone curious about how it sounds when 100 plus 10 year olds play Christmas songs on kazoos, I have provided a couple of snippets from the program. Unfortunately I don't have the best camera, and experienced a few technical difficulties (i.e. my memory card deciding it was full halfway through a song, and Rowan deciding he was about to die of thirst). In the second clip Fuller is kneeling in the front playing the boom whackers aka plastic tubes. He was very excited/nervous about this.

Oh so very different

It has been clear to me since the time my boys were babies that they have very strong personalities. Their personalities are also very different from one another. Sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes not so much. At times it seems like they are just one big clump of boy running haphazardly through our house, but then something will come up that highlights their differences. My mom had requested that the boys make her a Christmas list, so she would have some idea of what they are interested in when she goes shopping. Initially they all went through the toy ads from the paper and circled almost everything in them (except stuff on the "pink pages" of course!) So about a week later I told them they really needed to narrow it down and make a real list of things they actually wanted. Their approaches to this request were very interesting. Fuller, being the thoughtful, detail oriented person that he is, went straight to the internet and started a full on search for his perfect list. He listed them in great detail, and set up a system for prioritizing them. Grayson, being more of our "go with the flow" middle child, said he didn't want to make a list he just wanted to be surprised. I asked him if there was anything he would be disappointed to not get and he said No, he likes everything. Rowan, our wild and excitable one, remained hard to pin down. I tried looking at toy ads with him, but he just gets silly and says he wants EVERYTHING! It will be interesting to see if their reactions to their gifts are this different.

Time to build an ark!

Tennis anyone!



The creek looks about ready to overflow.



The field next to Rowan's preschool looked more like a lake than a play area today!

On the plus side, Paul got the day off today since the highway was closed between our house and his work!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

What a wonderful surprise to wake up to snow this morning! If only it was a little colder so it would stick around a little while. This beautiful sight motivated me to bring out the other sure sign that it's almost Christmas at our house, the Santas. Several years ago, (back before we had kids), Paul and I took a wonderful trip through Canada. On that trip I found the neatest hand carved Santa, and thus started a fun tradition. Every year Paul hunts for a new, unique Santa, to give me for Christmas. Sometimes he can't decide and I get more than one that year. This has been a special thing between us that I look forward to each year. Even on years when money has been really tight, and we've decided no presents for us, Paul always comes through with a new Santa for me. It's always fun to unpack them and try to remember a little about the year I received it. The boys love to choose which is their favorite, and to guess which is mine. I can't wait to see what Paul finds this year!










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A week of Blessings

Thanksgiving is always a time of thoughtful reflection for me. My family and I are so truly blessed all year long, and always have much to be thankful for. We are of course thankful for family and friends, a warm home and good food to eat, and so many other things as well. This year we were gone pretty much the whole Thanksgiving week, and I had a good opportunity to appreciate those things big and small that I was thankful for during the week. These items are listed in no particular order, but are things that the boys and I enjoyed this past week.


-My Grandma Beulah

I am always thankful for a chance to visit with Grandma. Grandma is 98 now, and still going strong. I am so glad that we had some time to stop and see her. It seems like the time always goes by too fast, but I am so happy for whatever time we can have together. I am also thankful that my boys have gotten to know her, and see her as the treasure that she is. They also really enjoyed the little treat bags of candy that she had ready for them!


- Childhood memories

I have eaten MANY a meal at this little drive-in. If you ever happen to be in Wilbur WA I strongly recommend the Billy Burger basket and a vanilla shake.


- The beauty of nature

This picture really doesn't do it justice, but the views of snow covered trees on our drive were simply breathtaking!


- Kids who travel long distances remarkably well

The kids did so well on this trip, especially considering how many hours they had to sit. It's funny how when they have a whole house to spread out in they can fight like crazy, but pack them tightly in a car for long periods of time and they play nicely together.










- Starbucks gingerbread hot chocolate

- Time with Paul

Paul has worked such crazy hours the last 5 months, it was wonderful to have a whole week off together. We all really needed it!

-Brother time

Paul and his brother Jason are such good friends, it so fun to watch them laugh and be silly together.


- Snow to play in

This is such a treat to my boys who so rarely see snow where we live!










Unfortunately it was really stinkin' cold, so they couldn't play outside for as long as they would have liked.






Fuller's favorite part was sledding down the hill across from his cousin's house.








- Craft time with Uncle Jason

Crafts aren't really Jason's thing, but he's a nice Uncle and Rowan demanded he join him.








- Passing on traditions

Paul and Jason taught the kids how to play "king around the court"

-Boys who love dogs

Anyone who knows Grayson knows that he is pretty much dog crazy, and his cousin's dog Anna is one of his absolute favorites!



-Elsie

This strong sweet girl is the thing we were all most thankful for this year! She endured 2 grueling weeks in the hospital, which included 2 surgeries to deal with a ruptured appendix, and way too many pokes and icky medicines. She proved to everyone what a tough little cookie she is, and was able to come home on Thanksgiving. We were all so happy for her to be home and on the road to recovery!



- Cousin Gabe

Fuller and Gabe were born about a week apart, and I think they were just destined to be friends. Fuller misses Gabe all the time, and begs us to move next door to him. I just love watching these two talk and hang out together!










- Aunt Barbara

This is one special lady, and we all love her so! She is always up for snuggles with the kids, and back scratches all around.


- Heat
This is the temperature reading from our van the morning we left. Believe me it felt like 6 degrees.





- "Famous Daves" rib tips! Sure wish they'd open one in Oregon!


- Montana Grizzly fans!